Liz Braun, QMI Agency

A warlord, a cold-blooded assassin, Conan the Barbarian -- you've most likely only seen Jason Momoa as a hulking heavy in the movies.

He's once again ferocious as a killer in Bullet to the Head, the new action drama with Sylvester Stallone (now in theatres), but in person, the 6'4" actor is a gentle giant.

Describing himself as an artist and former biologist, Momoa, 33, did not intend to become an action hero.

The actor was born in Honolulu but grew up in Iowa with his mother. Momoa returned to Hawaii at the age of 19 and while modelling and working at a surf shop, he was chosen over thousands of other actors for a lead role in Baywatch Hawaii. He had no previous acting experience.